Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to facilitate searches of communication references for real time communication connections. One embodiment includes: one or more web servers to assign a communication reference to an advisor for distribution by the advisor in one or more documents, to associate at least one keyword with the communication reference, to receive from the advisor a bid price on the keyword associated with the communication reference, and to present the communication reference selected based at least in part on the bid price in response to a search related to the keyword; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers to determine contact information of the advisor based on the communication reference used by a customer to request a communication connection to the advisor, and to connect the customer to the advisor for real time communications using the determined contact information.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to dynamically determine the performance event of a listing based on the progress levels of responses received in response to a presentation of the listing. One embodiment includes: providing a listing on behalf of an entity for presentation to a user; identifying an event from a set of predetermined events based on communications made by the user responsive to a presentation of the listing; and charging the entity a fee per the event identifying from the set of predetermined events.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to provide user interfaces dynamically customized according to partners through which the user interfaces are accessed in a customer acquisition process. One embodiment includes providing to a plurality of entities a platform, configured to assign references for embedding in listings for presentation and configured to connect people for real time communications according to the references embedded in the listings, the references to be used to request the platform to provide the connections; responsive to a request received via a first entity of the plurality of entities, presenting a user interface of the platform in a first format to identify the first entity; and responsive to a request received via a second entity of the plurality of entities, presenting the user interface of the platform in a second format to identify the second entity.

Abstract: Methods and systems to specify complex geographic areas for advertisements to connect advertisers and customers for real time communications. One embodiment includes: a web server to present a user interface to receive input specifying a plurality of geographic areas and one or more operations to combine the plurality of geographic areas into a geographic area of service of an advertisement and to provide the advertisement with a reference of a connection server for presentation to a customer when a location of the customer matches with the geographic area of service of the advertisement; and a connection server to receive a request from the customer for a connection to an advertiser of the advertisement and to provide the connection for real time communications between the customer and the advertiser in response to the request made via the reference of the connection server.

Abstract: Systems and methods to manage the presentation of advertisements. One embodiment includes: a data communication server to assign a reference of a connection server to an advertisement and to provide the reference of the connection server with the advertisement for presentation to customers; a connection server to receive from the customers requests made via the reference of the connection server for connections to an advertiser of the advertisement and to provide the connections for real time communications between the customers and the advertiser in response to the requests made via the reference; and a controller coupled with the data communication server and the connection server to compute a performance indicator of the advertisement based on tracking the provided connections via the reference assigned to the advertisement and to determine whether to pause delivery of the advertisement for presentation based on the computed performance indicator.

Abstract: Systems and methods to connect a seller to a customer according to a request received from the seller. One embodiment includes a process implemented in a user terminal of a seller, where the process includes: responsive to a request from the seller, establishing a connection to a user terminal of a customer for real time communications between the seller and the customer, using a reference assigned to the customer; and charging the customer on behalf of the seller for a transaction made over the connection established in response to the request from the seller. In one embodiment, the connection established in response to the request from the seller is a peer to peer connection between the user terminal of the seller and the user terminal of the customer.

Abstract: Systems and methods to provide advertisements based on the content of documents in which the advertisements are presented. One embodiment includes: a web server to receive a request for an advertisement in reference to a document provided to a user by a content provider; a backend server to identify the advertisement based on relevancy of the advertisement to the content of the document and to associate a communication reference with the advertisement and the content provider, the web server to provide the advertisement and the reference for inclusion in the document; and a telecommunication server coupled to a session border controller and the backend server to receive a connection request via the reference, to determine contact information of the advertiser and identify the content provider based on the reference, and to establish the connection between the user and the advertiser using the determined contact information.

Abstract: Systems and methods to connect a seller to a customer according to a request received from the seller. One embodiment includes a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network, and one or more servers coupled to the session border controller to receive from a seller a request for a connection to a customer for real time communications between the seller and the customer, to establish the connection for real time communications between the seller and the customer in response to the request received from the seller, to identify payment information of the customer, and to charge the customer on behalf of the seller using the payment information for a transaction made over the connection established in response to the request received from the seller.

Abstract: Methods and systems for connecting people for real time communications in a virtual reality environment. One embodiment includes: a virtual reality server to host a virtual reality world; a web server to provide an advertisement to a customer, the advertisement including a reference to a meeting with an advertiser of the advertisement in the virtual reality world, a selection of the reference from the customer to cause the virtual reality server to teleport at least one avatar to a meeting location in the virtual reality world; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller to connect the customer to the advertiser of the advertisement for real time communications in response to the customer selecting the advertisement. In one embodiment, the advertiser of the advertisement is charged an advertisement fee per completion of the teleporting.

Abstract: Methods and systems for connecting people for real time communications via a virtual reality environment. One embodiment includes: a virtual reality server to host a virtual reality world and to present, to a customer in the virtual reality world, an advertisement including a reference assigned to the advertisement; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller to connect the customer to an advertiser of the advertisement for real time communications in response to a request received via the reference embedded in the advertisement and presented to the customer in the virtual reality world. In one embodiment, the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee based on connecting the customer and the advertiser for real time communications via the advertisement presented in the virtual reality world.

Abstract: Methods and systems to determine availability of people for real time communications via a virtual reality environment. One embodiment includes: associating an avatar with an advertisement; determining a location of the avatar in a virtual reality world; and determining whether an advertiser of the advertisement is available for real time communications based at least in part on the location of the avatar in the virtual reality world. In one embodiment, the availability of the advertiser is determined for real time communications via the virtual reality world and for real time communications outside the virtual reality world based on an online presence status of the avatar, a schedule of the advertiser, and/or the location of the avatar in the virtual reality world.

Abstract: Methods and systems for connecting people to services delivered via a virtual reality environment. One embodiment includes: a virtual reality server to host a three dimensional virtual reality world; and a connection provider to interface between the virtual reality server and a customer and to interface between the virtual reality server and an advisor, the connection provider to present the advisor and to cause the virtual reality server to teleporting an avatar, representing the customer or the advisor in the virtual reality world, to a location in the virtual reality world for a meeting between the customer and the advisor, the connection provider to monitor a duration of the meeting in the virtual reality world and to charge the customer on behalf of the advisor for services delivered by the advisor during the meeting in the virtual reality world.

Abstract: Methods and systems for connecting people for real time communications via a virtual reality environment. One embodiment includes: receiving a call for a real time communication session at a virtual object presented in a virtual reality world; indicating to a plurality of residents of the virtual reality world that the virtual object is being called; and responsive to an input from one resident of the plurality of residents, connecting the call to the resident for a real time communication session.

Abstract: Methods and systems to obtain information in a virtual reality environment for real time communication connections. One embodiment includes: a virtual reality server to host a virtual reality world and an avatar representing a participant of the virtual reality world, the virtual reality world including a virtual object to receive a message from an avatar; a controller to determine a context of the message and select an advertisement based on the context for presentation via the virtual object, the presented advertisement including an embedded reference to be used to request for a connection for real time communications; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller to connect the avatar to an advertiser of the advertisement for real time communications in response to a user of the avatar selecting the reference.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to facilitate connections between peoples for real time communications. In one embodiment, a method includes: identifying an entity based at least in part on relevancy to a content of a document to be presented to a user; and for presentation to the user adding a communication reference separately from the content used to identify the entity; where the communication reference has been assigned to the entity and the communication reference can be used to request a connection for real time communications with the entity.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to initiate callback with confirmation. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a reference (e.g., a callback phone number) in a request for a connection to a destination; providing a code via the reference in response to the request; receiving a code to confirm the request; determining whether the received code matches the provided code; and initiating a connection via the reference for the connection to the destination if the received code matches the provided code.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to connect a user of a telephony device to a selected one of service providers of a predefined category. One embodiment includes: providing a user interface element on a dial interface of a telephonic device to represent a communication reference associated with a pre-defined category of services; and responsive to a user selection of the user interface element, initiating a request from the telephonic device using the communication reference for a telephone connection to a service provider of the pre-defined category; where the service provider is to be selected from a plurality of service providers of the pre-defined category in response to the request and to be charged in response to a telephone lead connected to the service provider.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to facilitate searches for information to request for real time communication connections. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving a request, via a communication reference embedded in a web page and storing data to associate the communication reference with the web page based on the request. The communication reference is assigned to represent contact information of a callee. In one embodiment, a search is performed using the stored data that associates the communication reference with the web page; and web pages in the search result are ranked based at least in part upon the usage of the communication reference embedded in the corresponding web page.

Abstract: Systems and methods to selectively block calls from reaching destinations based on an input received from a callback connection. One embodiment includes a web server to receive a selection of an advertisement from an customer and to obtain a communication reference from the customer in response to the selection; a session border controller to interface with a packet switched network; and one or more telecommunication servers coupled to the session border controller and the web server, the one or more telecommunication servers to establish a connection for real time communications using the communication reference, to initiate a connection for real time communications with an advertiser of the advertisement after receiving an indication of acceptance of the connection established using the communication reference; where the advertiser is charged an advertisement fee in response to establishing a connection for real time communications between the advertiser and the customer.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to dynamically allocate location dependent telephone numbers to facilitate voice connections between people. One embodiment includes: responsive to a request from a user, selecting a telephone number from a plurality of telephone numbers of a connection server to match a location indicator of the request; embedding the telephone number in an advertisement, the telephone number to be used by the user to initiate a telephone call to the connection server for further connection to an advertiser of the advertisement; and providing the advertisement with the telephone number of the connection server as a response to the request. In one embodiment, responsive to receiving the telephone call at the telephone number of the connection server from the user, whether to play a prompt message to the user is determined based at least in part on statistic data about telephone calls collected at the connection server.